Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.

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For me it was simply "Love your canopy" I took the above statement to mean..Whatever you jump, respect it and learn to fly it to your full potential, don't just treat it as a means of getting to the ground.

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After a normal skydive deploying at +/-3k, how much time do you have before you are entering the pattern to land? Not much right? The best advice I got was to go do high altitude hop n' pops to really learn the wing. It's amazing how much more "in sync" you feel with your parachute after 4 or 5 of those jumps. Confidence rises, so does comfort and enjoyment and safety.

Re: [DanDanInc] Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.
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Flying my canopy is the one part of this sport that frightens me. This thread will hopefully be very helpful. Thanks!

Dan being frightening isn't such a bad thing. But I would try to gear that fear towards respect and caution more than "just scared." As you are aware, a lot of people die under their parachutes but take the time to learn to control and fly a parachute in your skill range. Especially defensive skills. Your chances of having a safe skydiving career will increase exponentially.

Re: [DanDanInc] Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.
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Flying my canopy is the one part of this sport that frightens me.

Other people being under their canopy frightens me!

I have twice had people spiral down at me without looking while I was in the pattern (I was at 800' the first time and 650' the second!).

Which brings me to another couple of good pieces of advice:

- no radical/unpredictable moves in the pattern (e.g.. s-turns or spirals) - LOOK-LEAN-TURN (and by LOOK I mean in the direction you will go which is not just left or right, but left or right and down for most turns)

Re: [trigger] Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.
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Best advice I ever got was...

Before you ever downsize make sure you have mastered EVERYTHING on your current canopy. Can you land with only rear risers, can you land downwind, can you land a short final, can you set up using a flat turn, at altitude stall your canopy and recover, study where your stall is with both toggles and rear risers.

Re: [IMGR2] Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.
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Well I am guessing this only relates to strict canopy control, I think the best advice I have heard is...

Even if you aren't thinking on being a HP canopy pilot, you should still learn these skills. Because, even if it is unintentional, a low turn can happen on any jump, so you are better off at least practicing these skills before hand rather than finding yourself in need of those skills when you don't have them.

Now that's pretty general and it doesn't apply to learn how to do a 450+ front riser dive, or knowing when to transition form rears to toggles, but knowing how your wing react to different turns, and knowing how to have a fast recovery from this turns, is essential so you feel more comfortable whatever canopy you fly.

Make sure to talk with an experience canopy pilot or take a canopy course. Do the drills up high and have fun, IMO is always good to have working plan, even on a high altitude HnP, rather than just dump high, stay under canopy for 5 minutes and land.

Re: [DocPop] Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.
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Flying my canopy is the one part of this sport that frightens me.

Other people being under their canopy frightens me!

I have twice had people spiral down at me without looking while I was in the pattern (I was at 800' the first time and 650' the second!).

Which brings me to another couple of good pieces of advice:

- no radical/unpredictable moves in the pattern (e.g.. s-turns or spirals) - LOOK-LEAN-TURN (and by LOOK I mean in the direction you will go which is not just left or right, but left or right and down for most turns)

Thank you! I will definitely be looking where I am going.

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Dan being frightening isn't such a bad thing. But I would try to gear that fear towards respect and caution more than "just scared." As you are aware, a lot of people die under their parachutes but take the time to learn to control and fly a parachute in your skill range. Especially defensive skills. Your chances of having a safe skydiving career will increase exponentially.

Yes I am picking up Brian Germain's book on Fear to try and cope with the heights fear I have. I have been under my own canopy twice now and landed safely so I'm not too worried. I'm just more concerned with what the canopy can really do and the only way I can learn it is by being under canopy.

Re: [DanDanInc] Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.
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The learn to love your canopy is kind of what got me interested in canopy control. Thers's so much to learn no just from the swooping community but from the classic accuracy and CRW crowds as well, it's all very relevent and the more you learn the more you realise it's not the canopy but the person flying it that counts.

Re: [trigger] Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.
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The learn to love your canopy is kind of what got me interested in canopy control. Thers's so much to learn no just from the swooping community but from the classic accuracy and CRW crowds as well, it's all very relevent and the more you learn the more you realise it's not the canopy but the person flying it that counts.

I completely agree with you and I want to learn to love mine as well. I want to be able to land exactly where I want to and I want to know exactly what to do during any situation. I might be afraid of heights but knowing what my canopy can do will definitely make it easier to deal with the fear and hopefully cure me of that stupid fear.

P.S. I highly doubt swooping with EVER be a part of my skydiving repertoire. hahahahaha

Re: [piisfish] Whats the best advice you have ever received regarding Canopy Control.
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walking 200yards is easier than crawling 20

And always better than being carried for 2 yards.

Also, the low turns. I've had quite a few times where I needed a 90 degree low turn (~200ft) to avoid a ditch or tree or stuff. It was my fault for getting into that situation in the first place, but the skill to get out is indispensable! I'm glad I learned that during my first canopy control class (and re-iterating the value of coaching).